Game device



y 1949; R. E. SULLIVAN 2,469,058

GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. 25, 1946- Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Rama/v E. dc/LL/m/v Ar TDENE Y8 y 1949- R. E. SULLIVAN 2,469,058

GAME DEVICE Filed Nov. 25, l946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Rnno/v E. duLLlvmv ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a game device, and particularly to a racing. game.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a figure simulating an animal, or other object, in appearance, from certain viewpoints and also means associated with said figure adapted to cause the latter to be moved along a predetermined path of travel, turned around, and moved back again to the starting point by a person positioned stationarily at said starting point whereby a plurality of such figures and such means may be employed by a plurality of persons for making a race.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a game device including, figures simulating in appearance, any desired objects, such as animals, fowls, etc., or land or water vehicles and riders or drivers therefor, and which device further includes a flexible line associated with each figure in a manner for causing the figure to move along said line upon manipulation of the latter by a person at one end thereof.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side view of one of the game devices including a portion of the flexible line along which the figure is adapted to be moved upon manipulation of the line.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the game device in actuating position; the chair being merely illustrative of any object to which the line may be attached.

Fig. 3 is a front end view of the device of Fig. 1, the flexible line being shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a side View illustrating the manner in which the figure is advanced along the line.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating how the figure on the line may be turned around at any desired point along the line.

In detail, the game device comprises a sheet of material, preferably semi-rigid so as to have some resiliency, and which sheet is bent on itself along a central line I (Fig. 3) so as to provide a pair of pieces 2, 3 extending divergently downwardly. The pieces 2, 3 normally spring apart to inverted V-shape as seen in Fig. 3, when they are released after bending, but if not, they may be purposely so spread.

The pieces 2, 3 are of complementary outline, and the outline shown in Fig. l and in the other views forms a figure that, in appearance, generally simulates a horse when viewed from the side. A rider and other features may be surface printed on the oppositely outwardly facing sides of the pieces.

In showing a horse and rider, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the same. Obviously the figure may be any one of many, provided certain desired structure is present.

This structure includes the convex curving of the outermost free edges of the pieces 2, 3 longitudinally of said edges as seen at 4 in Fig. 1. These curved edges form rockers adapted to support the device on the fioor or on any suitable supporting surface. Between the forward ends of the curved rocker edges and the adjacent end of the straight back '5 (which is coincident with the bend I) the forward edges of the pieces 2, 3 are each formed to outline the forward and underside of the head and neck of the horse and the chest.

At the rear ends of the curved edges 4, there are projections 6 forming a generally forwardly facing edge '5 at the juncture between each curved rocker edge i and each projection. Thus when the horse is rocked on said rockers the projections G will strike the floor or other supporting surface upon the head end of the horse being elevated a predetermined distance.

The rear edges of the pieces 2, 3 follow successively convexly and concavely curved lines extending upwardly from the outer ends of the shoulders I to outline the rear end of the horse,

including the tail.

Around the neck of the horse is an elastic band 8 that extends through slits 8' in the free lower edges of the neck portion into openings adjacent said edges and which band functions to yieldably hold pieces 2, 3 in the desired spaced relationship. To the upper end of said band a smooth ring 9 is flexibly secured. This ring is preferably round in cross-sectional contour, or at least the radially inwardly facing sides are convexly curved in cross sectional contour so that the ring will slip relatively freely along a flexible line, such, for example, as a cord or string.

In operation a flexible line It extends through said ring, and one end of said line is secured to some stationary object. In Fig. 2 the line Ill is secured to a chair II, but any other object will serve provided it is of sufficient height. The height at which the end of the line should be secured to such object is slightly higher than the device to which the ring 9 is attached. This height will to some extent depend upon the length of the line I D as well. The longer the line the higher the end may be, but it should not be so high that the device is lifted off the floor when the line is manipulated in the desired manner.

Figs. 2, 4, 5 are illustrative of the manner in which the figure or device is operated. After one end of the line H] is secured to the object II, the ring 9 is threaded onto the line at the end of the line adjacent the operator with the head of the horse or figure directed toward the opposite end of the line. The operator grasps the near end of the line in his or her hand l2 and intermittently tightens and elevates the line by a reciprocatory accepts movement of the hand in the direction of the arrow l3 (Fig. 2) or if the level of the hand is at about the same level as the opposite end of the line, intermittent tightening of the line may accomplish a similar result. The main thing is to cause the figure to rock and the first lifting or tightening of the line will result in rocking the figure rearwardly by elevating the head end inasmuch as the ring is considerably forward of a plane bisecting the rockers transversely thereof.

Referring to Fig. 4, the full line position l5 in dicates the horse when its head is at the lower end of its movement as the figure is rocked on the rockers. Upon tightening the line it to position it, the head is elevated and the figure is edged forward to position [1. An immediate slacking of the line to-position I8 will result in the figure rocking forwardly to position 19 and it will be seen that the ring has moved forwardly along the line.

As'scon as the figure approaches fairly near to the object H or at a-predeterrnined distance therefrom, the operator may swing the line to one side or the other, such as to position 2% (Fig. 5) While continuing the alternate slacken ing and tightening of the line, whereupon the figure'will turn around. As soon as the figure has passed the halfway'markin making the turn, the action described for advancing the figure along the line may be resumed and the horse will return to the operator.

The-projections 6 seem tocontribute to the act of making the turn, and they also contribute to the action of the figure in advancing along the line in one direction or the other.

The fact that the-ring 9 is secured to the rubber or elastic band 8 also contributes to the desired result, and theyieldability between the pieces 2, 3' eifected by 'the presence of the band 8 appears to be a desirable feature in the successful operating of the device.

The outline of'the pieces 2, '3 has been carefully designed so as not to presentsharp corners on which the line H] may catch.

A certain'ainount of skill is required to actuate the figure for obtaining the best results. How ever, the fact that over-anxiety of the operator to'win a. race frequently will result in the figure turning around when not desired, or in stopping, lends the necessary excitement to the game.

The rockers and the-position of the ring relative thereto so that the device or figure will advance along" the line iii are obviously quite important features. The resiliency of the pieces 2, 3 by virtue of the inherent resiliency of the material from which they are produced, as well as the provision of the elastic band 8 are other featuresthat materially contribute to the success of the device. The design whereby no sharp notches or corners are present is important in preventing accidental tangling of the figures on the line.

It may be well to emphasize the fact that the ring 9 and band 8 are" positioned to one side of a plane transversely bisecting the rockers, and

the-head end, due to the weight of the ring and the projecting of the head of thefigure, will tend to cause the head end to automatically dip to the fullline position seen inFig. 4, thus facilitating the advance of the figure along the line it under the manner in which the line is operated, and as has been described.

It is to be understood that the detailed drawing and description are not to' be considered 4 restrictive of the invention, but merely illustrative thereof.

I claim:

1. A game device comprising a pair of pieces of sheet material of substantially corresponding outline, said pieces being joined along one of their corresponding edges and extending divergently downwardly from such juncture whereby said pieces form the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said pieces being convexly curved longitudinally thereof to provide rockers for supporting said device on the floor, an eye member secured to said device at a point along the juncture between said pieces and. at one side of a vertical plane bisecting said pieces at right angles thereto, a flexible line adapted to extend generally horizontally through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite ends by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other.

2. A game device comprising a pair of pieces of sheet material of substantially corresponding outline, said pieces bcingj oined along one of their corresponding edges and extending divergently downwardly from such juncture whereby said pieces form the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said pieces being convexly curved longitudinally thereof to provide rockers for supporting said device on the floor, an eye member secured to said device at a point along the juncture between said pieces and at one side of a vertical plane bisecting said pieces at right angles thereto, a flexible line adapted to extend generally horizontally through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite ends by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the fioor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other, means yieldably holding said pieces against spreading apart beyond a predetermined limit.

3. A game device comprising a pair of pieces of sheet material of substantially corresponding outline, said pieces being joined along one of their corresponding edges and extending divergently downwardly from such juncture whereby said pieces form the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said pieces being convexly curved longitudinally thereof to provide rockers for supporting said device on the floor, an eye member secured to said device at a point along the juncture between said pieces and at one side of a vertical plane bisecting said pieces at right angles thereto, a flexible line adapted to extend generally horizontally through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its 011- posite ends by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other, said pieces being formed from a single sheet of semi-rigid material bent along the line of said juncture whereby the said sheets are integrally connected.

4. A game device comprising a horizontally extending pair of pieces of substantially corresponding outline simulating the outline of an animal when seen from a lateral side, saidpieces being joined along a horizontally extending line coincident with the back of said animal and the sides extending divergently downwardly therefrom thereby forming the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said pieces being convexly curved lengthwise to provide spaced rockers for supporting said device for rocking on the floor, an eye member above said back and ad jacent one end thereof and secured to said device, a horizontally extending flexible line adapted to extend through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite end by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other.

5. A game device comprising a horizontally extending pair of pieces of substantially corresponding outline simulating the outline of an animal when seen from a lateral side, said pieces being joined along a horizontally extending line coincident with the back of said animal and the sides extending divergently downwardly therefrom thereby forming the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said piece being convexly curved lengthwise to provide spaced rockers for supporting said device for rocking on the floor, an eye member above said back and adjacent one end thereof and secured to said device, a horizontally extending flexible line adapted to extend through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite end by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other, the edges of said pieces at the front and rear ends of the animal simulated being curved to eliminate sharp corners apt to be caught on said line during rocking of said device.

6. A game device comprising a horizontally extending pair of pieces of substantially corresponding outline simulating the outline of an animal when seen from a lateral side, said pieces being joined along a horizontally extending line coincident with the back of said animal and the sides extending divergently downwardly therefrom, thereby forming the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said piece being convexly curved lengthwise to provide spaced rockers for supporting said device for rocking on the floor, an eye member above said back and adjacent one end thereof and secured to said device, a horizontally extending flexible line adapted to extend through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite end by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other, said pieces being integrally joined along said back, means yieldably holding said pieces against spreading apart beyond a predetermined limit during rocking of said device on said rockers, and means flexibly securing said eye member to said device.

7. A game device comprising a horizontally extending pair of pieces of substantially corresponding outline simulating the outline of an animal when seen from a lateral side, said pieces being joined along a horizontally extending line coincident with the back of said animal and the sides extending divergently downwardly therefrom thereby forming the sides of an inverted V, the lower free edges of said piece being convexly curved lengthwise to provide spaced rockers for supporting said device for rocking on the floor, an eye member above said back and adjacent one end thereof and secured to said device, a horizontally extending flexible line adapted to extend through said eye member for securement at one end thereof to a stationary object and for grasping at its opposite end by the hand for manipulating the line to cause rocking of said device on the floor and its progressive advancement along said line from one end to the other, said pieces each being formed with a projection extending downwardly relative to each rocker at the rear end of the animal for engaging the floor upon rocking the forward end of the device upwardly.

RAMON E. SULLIVAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,147,606 Chesney July 20, 1915 1,394,096 Lacey Oct. 18, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 23,379 Great Britain June 25, 1914 473,357 France Sept. 19, 1914 

